Winding mechanism



June 16, 1964 g, RAsSlER 3,137,366

" WINDING MECHANISM Filed March 29, 1961 EwENG mm E LEQQ mm I NQE INENTOR United States Patent 3,137,366 WINDING MECHANISM Cecil Arthur Rassier, Erith, Kent, England, assignor to D. Sahel & Company Limited, Erith, England, a British company Filed Mar. 29, 1961, Ser. No. 99,233 Claims priority, application Great Britain Mar. 30, 1960 i Claims. (Cl. 18539) This invention relates to a winding mechanism for a motor which is intended to drive a movable part such as the propeller of a model aircraft or boat. In the case of model aircraft the propeller is frequently coupled to one end of a length, or lengths, of elastic secured to the aircraft. The elastic is regarded as the motor and is termed an elastic motor.

To wind up the elastic motor the propeller is rotated in a first direction so as to twist the elastic material, the rotation of the elasticmaterial being continued until the elastic is fully wound. Upon releasing the propeller the latter will be rotated in the opposite direction to the winding direction by the untwisting of the elastic.

It will be appreciated that instead of one or more lengths of elastic, endless bands of the elastic can be used. In practice it is preferred to use endless bands in view of the ease. by which a band can be anchored to the model and to the part to be driven.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a winding mechanism whereby an elastic motor can be wound without rotating the part to be driven in'order to wind the elastic motor.

According to the present invention vthere is provided I a winding mechanism for an elastic motor, clockwork motor or the like, including a manually a'ctuatablewind-- ing element for rotating a rotatable member connectable to the elastic motor to be wound, a one way drive device for transmitting drive in a first direction from the winding element to the rotatable member but not in the reverse direction to the first direction, and means for automatically returning the winding element to its initial position after it has been moved in said first direction.

Preferably the one-way drive device is also arranged to prevent the rotatable member from rotating in. said reverse direction.

Preferably the winding element is in the form of a rotatable shaft or drum which carries a string, cord or the like which, when pulled in such direction as to unwind the cord causes the drum or shaft to rotate in the winding direction thereof, the drum or shaft being connected to a torsion member which automatically rotates in the reverse direction to rewind the cord onto the drum or shaft so that the cord is ready for a further pulling operation.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how to carry the same into effect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a winding mechanism for an elastic motor; and

FIGURE 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 of a portion of the mechanism in FIGURE 1.

The mechanism includes a manually actuatable i.e.

rotatable drum 1 for a length of nylon cord, string, thread or the like, the drum having two annular end walls 3 and 4 secured in spaced apart co-axial relationship on a cylindrical shaft 5, so that the end parts of the shaft project outwardly of the end walls 3 and 4. One end part 6 of the shaft is journalled in a bearing member 7 which is to be fixedly mounted in the model (not shown) to be driven. The end part 6 extends through the bearing member 7 and is provided with an attachment member 8 at its extreme end. The member 8 is attached to a torsion member 10 such as one or more bands or lengths 3,137,366 Patented June 16, 1964 of elastic which is, or are, anchored to the model "by means of a hook or dowel 11. Conveniently the attachment member isa hook or eyelet.

Rotation of the drum -1 and thus the shaft 5 in a first which is Y fixedly secured relative to the'model (not shown). p v A'second attachment member 18 is connected'to the end of the stub shaft 16. Oneend of the elastic material acting as the elastic motor, schematically shown at 18A,

to be wound is intended to be connected to the member '18. Conveniently the member 18 is in the form of a hook or eyelet.

A one-way drive transmitting device includes a first pair of complementary spiral dogs or s piral clutch teeth 19 and 20which are formed on the adjacent" faces 21 and 22 of the plate 15 and the bearing member 17. The

dogs or teeth 19 and 20 allow rotation of the plate 15 relative to the bearing member 17 in the direction of the arrow ;12 but prevent relativerotation of the plate 15 with respect tothe bearing member 17 in the reverse direction to that indicated by the arrowj12.

An annular clutch plate 23 is rotatably carried on; the

shaft part 13, the clutch plate 23 beinglocated;be'tween the annular end wall 4 and the plate 15.

A second pair of complementary spiral dogs or teeth 24 and 25 are formed on adjacent surfaces 26 and 27 of the annular end Wall and the clutch plate 23.

The clutch plate 23 is constrained to rotate with the I plate 15 by two rods 28 which are attached to the plate 15 and which engage recesses 29 in the periphery of the clutch plate 23. The clutch plate 23 is slidable axially of the shaft part 13 and is urged by'a spring 30 towards the end wall 4 of the drum 1 so as to maintain the dogs 24 and 25 in engagement.

The dogs 24 and 25 are of the opposite sense to that of the dogs 19 and 20 so that upon rotation of the drum 1 in the direction of the arrow 12 drive will be trans mitted to the clutch plate 23 and thus to the plate 15 via the rods 28, and such that rotation of the drum in the reverse direction drive will not be transmitted to the clutch plate 23 from the drum 1.

The winding mechanism operates as follows: The mechanism is connected into the model not shown by suitably securing the .bearing'members 7 and 17 to the model. The attachment means 8 is connected to the torsion member 10, and the attachment member 18 is coupled to the motor 18A tobe wound. One end of the nylon cord 2 is attached to the drum and the cord is wrapped around the drum, the direction of winding being such that upon pulling the cord the drum rotates in the first direction as shown by the arrow 12. v

The number of turns of the cord wrapped around the drum determines the number of turns of the drum when the cord is pulled away from the drum.

When it is desired to wind-up the elastic motor that part of the model, schematically shown as a shaft 18B,

which is to be driven is locked against movement i.e.,

pulled so that it unwinds member, and in addition by reason of the meshing of the dogs 24 and 25 rotates the clutch plate 23. The rota tion of the clutch is transmitted via the rods 28 and the recesses 29 to the'plate 15 and thus via the dogs 19 and 20 to the stub shaft 16 thereby winding up to motor.

After the cord 2 has been fully withdrawn from the drum, the cord is released. The stored energy in the torsion member 10 connected to the shaft rotates the drum in said reverse direction, the dogs 24 and 25 allowing the drum torotate freely with respect to theclutch plate 23. The dogs 19 and 20 prevent the elastic motor 18A from rotating in the reverse direction so as to unwind the elastic motor. In other words the drum is free to rotate, that is recoil, but the stub shaft 16 is constrained from rotation in said reverse direction. The dogs 24 and 25 allow the drum to rotate freely with respect to the clutch plate 23.

The'recoil of the drum will automatically rewind the cord 2 so that it is ready for a further pulling operation.

If a single pull on the cord is not sufficient fully to wind the elastic'motor 18A the cord can be pulled several times until the elastic motor is fully wound.

What I claim is: I

1. A winding mechanism suitable for an'elastic motor including a manually actuatable winding element for rotating a rotatable member connectable to the elastic motor, a one-Way drive device for transmitting drive in a first direction from the winding element to the rotatable member but not in the reverse direction to the first direction and including means for preventing reverse rotation of the rotatable member, means for automatically returning the winding element into its initial position after it has been moved in said first direction, wherein the manually actuatable winding element includes a rotatable shaft about which is wound a cord which, when pulled in such direction as to unwind the cord, causes the rotatable shaft to rotate in the winding direction thereof, wherein the shaft is arranged for connection to torsion means which will automatically rotate the shaft in the reverse direction to rewind the cord onto the shaft whereby the cord is ready for a further pulling, wherein there is a first plate rigidly secured to the shaft, having one face thereof provided with at least one clutch tooth which is arranged to co-operate with a complementary tooth on a clutch plate which is connected to rotate the rotatable member whereby drive can be transmitted from the first plate to the clutch plate in the first direction only, and wherein the clutch plate is slidably mounted on a portion of said shaft which projects from said one face of the first plate. 2. A Winding mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for. preventing the reverse rotation of the rotatable member includes a further clutch means which 4 has clutch teeth arranged in theopposite sense to those I of the first plate and. the clutch plate. I

' 3. A winding mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein the further clutch means includes a further clutch plate constrained so as always to rotate. in the same direction as the first-mentioned clutchplate and a non-rotatable fixed plate.

in one end of the first mentioned shaft is journalled in a recess formed in the further clutch plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Seyter A aza 1875 La Riviere Sept. 15, 1925 

1. A WINDING MECHANISM SUITABLE FOR AN ELASTIC MOTOR INCLUDING A MANUALLY ACTUATABLE WINDING ELEMENT FOR ROTATING A ROTATABLE MEMBER CONNECTABLE TO THE ELASTIC MOTOR, A ONE-WAY DRIVE DEVICE FOR TRANSMITTING DRIVE IN A FIRST DIRECTION FROM THE WINDING ELEMENT TO THE ROTATABLE MEMBER BUT NOT IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION TO THE FIRST DIRECTION AND INCLUDING MEANS FOR PREVENTING REVERSE ROTATION OF THE ROTATABLE MEMBER, MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY RETURNING THE WINDING ELEMENT INTO ITS INITIAL POSITION AFTER IT HAS BEEN MOVED IN SAID FIRST DIRECTION, WHEREIN THE MANUALLY ACTUTABLE WINDING ELEMENT INCLUDES A ROTATABLE SHAFT ABOUT WHICH IS WOUND A CORD WHICH, WHEN PULLED IN SUCH DIRECTION AS TO UNWIND THE CORD, CAUSES THE ROTATABLE SHAFT TO ROTATE IN THE WINDING DIRECTION THEREOF, WHEREIN THE SHAFT IS ARRANGED FOR CONNECTION TO TORSION MEANS WHICH WILL AUTOMATICALLY ROTATE THE SHAFT IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION TO REWIND THE CORD ONTO THE SHAFT WHEREBY THE CORD IS READY FOR A FURTHER PULLING WHEREIN THERE IS A FIRST PLATE RIGIDLY SECUREDF TO THE SHAFT, HAVING ONE FACE THEREOF PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE CLUTCH TOOTH WHICH IS ARRANGED TO CO-OPERATE WITH A COMPLEMENTARY TOOTH ON A CLUTCH PLATE WHICH IS CONNECTED TO ROTATE THE ROTABLE MEMBER WHEREBY DRIVE CAN BE TRANSMITTED FROM THE FIRST PLATE TO THE CLUTCH PLATE IN THE FIRST DIRECTION ONLY, AND WHEREIN THE CLUTCH PLATE IS SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON A PORTION OF SAID SHAFT WHICH PROJECTS FROM SAID ONE FACE OF THE FIRST PLATE. 